Grate for a grill

ABSTRACT

In a grate the bars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . ) of S-shaped cross section are combined to form two groups of bars (1, 3, 5, 7, . . . ; 2, 4, 6, 8, . . . ). The two groups form moving units longitudinally displaceable relative to each other. The profiling of the bars prevents fat from dripping into the fire. Pulling apart the two groups of bars exposes all surfaces of the bars so that they are easy to clean.

The present invention relates to a bipartite, telescoping grate for agrill having a plurality of bars defining an upper grate plane fortaking up food to be grilled.

In its simplest form a grate comprises a plurality of round metal barswelded together parallel a certain distance apart. Such a grate isdisposed in a frame a certain distance above a charcoal fireplace. Sucha simple grill is sufficient for many purposes. However a frequentlyundesirable concomitant phenomenon in grilling proves to be the drippingof fat from the food into the fire between the bars of the grate. Withcertain foods, for example fish, dripping fat leads to a bad smell thatshould be avoided particularly in densely built-up residential areas.

For this purpose it has been proposed to replace the spaced round barsby profile bars, for example bars of S-shaped cross section, disposed inpartly overlapping fashion. The bars define an upper grate plane onwhich the food to be grilled is located. Fat dripping or running downfrom this plane collects in the grooves formed by the S-shaped profileof the bars (see e.g. DE 37 15 621 A1; DE 34 22 314 A1).

The staggered, substantially S-shaped bars are suitable for catching fatfrom the food being grilled, but the radiant heat from the glowingcharcoal reaches the food only indirectly, i.e. after being reflectedonce or twice on the walls of the bars, whereas the food is directlyexposed to the radiant heat in the simple grate with staggered roundbars.

Furthermore the document U.S.-A-4 553 523 discloses a bipartite,telescoping grate provided with two units each comprising a number ofparallel round bars that are displaceable relative to each other for thepurpose of changing or adjusting the size of the resulting grate. Butregardless of the extent to which the particular bars of the two grateunits are pushed together, this known grate also involves thedisadvantage that fat can drip from the food to be grilled through thegaps between two adjacent round bars of the resulting assembled grateinto the charcoal fire below the grate, which can lead to thedetrimental effects explained above.

The document U.S.-A-2 549 709 likewise discloses a bipartite grate, inparticular grate for a grill, wherein two substantially identical grateportions with parallel round bars can be put together, with telescopingconnecting rods provided on the outer sides of the two units.

An essential aspect for a grate is the possibility of cleaning. Forhygienic and esthetic reasons the grate should be thoroughly cleanedafter each use to remove fatty residues, dirt, soot and the like.Cleaning is all the more difficult the closer together the bars are.With profile bars, for example S-shaped bars, some parts of the bars areinaccessible to mechanical cleaning means (brushes). This is veryserious particularly in view of carcinogenic residues on the grate.

The invention is based on the problem of providing an improved bipartiteand telescoping grate that prevents fat from dripping through it, on theone hand, but also has its individual bars well accessible for purposesof cleaning, on the other hand. This problem is solved in a grate of theabovementioned type by the combination of features stated in thecharacterizing part of claim 1. This seemingly simple measure permitsthe bars to be disposed relatively close together, virtually preventingfat from dripping through, while the gap between two adjacent bars canbe increased by pulling apart the two parts of the grate so that theindividual bars of the two groups are readily accessible and can beeffortlessly cleaned.

A further aspect in this connection is the variation in the supply ofenergy to the food being grilled. When the two groups of bars are pushedtogether forming a virtually closed surface the food to be grilled isheated more or less indirectly, with very little radiant heat passingdirectly from the charcoal to the food to be grilled. When the twogroups of bars are pulled apart, however, larger gaps arise in one groupof bars. Through these gaps radiant heat can pass directly from thecharcoal to the food to be grilled. A particular advantage of theinvention is that when the grate is pushed together the profile barsform a closed surface in projection with two adjacent bars partlyoverlapping. This is the case particularly with bars of substantiallyS-shaped cross section. While the grill is "closed" when the grate ispushed together there are gaps between two adjacent bars of one groupthrough which radiant heat can pass from the coal to the food to begrilled.

The main aspect here, however, especially in connection with bars ofS-shaped or Z-shaped cross section, is the question of mechanicalcleaning.

When the two groups of bars are pulled apart the individual profiledmetal sheets are exposed. Due to the partial overlapping of the profiledmetal sheets the two parts of the grate with their respective groups ofbars can be effortlessly pushed together and pulled apart. To avoidsurface contact and obtain only linear contact if possible between theindividual bars when the two groups of bars are displaced relative toeach other, the bars are preferably bent out of sheet metal and have anangle of about 90° on a first bending line and an angle of about 100° ona second bending line.

Such bars can be readily produced from sheet iron. The different bendingangles result in only linear contact when the two grill portions areshifted.

The bars of each group of bars are connected with their ends. This canbe achieved by welding crossbars onto the top or underside, making surethe crossbars of one group are located on the underside and those of theother group on the top so as to permit the sliding motion of the twogroups of bars, the bars of the group not connected with the crossbarbeing supported displaceably on this crossbar.

According to a preferred embodiment, however, welded on crossbars are atleast partly avoidable if the one ends of one group of bars and theother ends of the other group of bars are connected by thin connectingmembers which connect the opposing sides of two bars in a substantiallystraight line.

These thin connecting members thus lie virtually in the plane definingtwo opposing sides of bars in one group of bars. There is thus noobstacle for brushing off the bars as there is with welded on crossbars.

In the following an embodiment example of the invention shall beexplained in more detail with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective partial representation of a grate,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a grate,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a grill utensil, and

FIG. 4 shows the two disassembled parts of a grate.

FIG. 3 shows grill utensil G with metal frame 25 resting on four feet,of which three feet 20, 21 and 22 are shown, and taking up grate Rprovided with handle 26. Below grate R there is a fireplace for charcoalnot shown here.

Grate R in FIG. 3 is of bipartite design and can be pulled apart asshown schematically in FIG. 4. The individual bars are divided into twogroups of bars with first half A of the grate in FIG. 4 containing thefirst, the third, the fifth, . . . bars and second half B of the gratein FIG. 4 containing the second, the fourth, the sixth, . . . bars. Thetwo groups of bars can be welded together by crossbars as likewise shownin FIG. 4.

According to FIG. 4 the bars of half B are held together by welded oncrossbars 31 and 32, while the bars of half A are held together bycrossbars 33 and 34 welded on or under.

The individual bars of grate R are of substantially S-shaped crosssection.

FIG. 2 shows in cross section part of the pushed together grate. Bars 1,3 and 5 (further bars following on the right in the Figure are not shownin FIG. 2) belong to a first group of bars corresponding to half A ofthe grate shown in FIG. 4. Bars 2, 4, . . . . in FIG. 2 belong to asecond group of bars corresponding to second half B of the grate in FIG.4.

Individual bars 1, 2, 3, . . . have an identical cross section. They areproduced from strips of sheet metal that are bent at two bending pointsin the longitudinal direction so as to form angle α of 90° between leftouter leg 11 and central piece 12 and bending angle β of 100° betweencentral portion 12 and right outer leg 13 according to FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 shows the state in which the half of the grate with the group ofeven bars 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, . . . is pulled out of the first half of thegrate containing the group of odd bars 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, . . . As amodification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, even bars 2, 4, . . .are connected in FIG. 1 by welded under crossbar 37 while odd bars 1, 3,5, . . . are connected by small connecting pieces 40 added at the endsof the bars between two opposing sides of the bars so as to connect thetwo sides or legs of the bars in a virtually straight line. This way ofconnecting the ends of the bars, which is evidently not possible foreven bars 2, 4, . . . in FIG. 1, offers the advantage that there arevirtually no obstacles for cleaning. With a brush one can move beyondthe ends of odd bars 1, 3, 5, . . . so that quick and easy cleaning ispossible.

In FIG. 1 one can see charcoal indicated below grate R. One can also seethat when the grill is pulled apart there are gaps between adjacent oddbars. Through these gaps radiant heat can pass directly from charcoal Kto the food to be grilled lying only on odd bars 1, 3, 5, . . . .

Instead of heating with charcoal one can also heat with gas or useelectric heating coils; combined heating with heating coils and charcoalis also possible.

The crucial point is that the profiles of the two halves of the grateare interconnected in such a way, for example by crossbars welded ontothe ends, that the combined profiles in cross section form a freepassage for the hot gases flowing through the grate. The profile crosssection is only of importance in so far as the imbricate profiles mustensure that dripping fat does not pass into the burning space but iscaught by the deeper profile and removed to the side. This overlappingin the vertical direction likewise prevents any flames from passing fromthe heating space to the top of the grate and burning the food beinggrilled.

The connection of the profile bars in the two halves of the grate isuncritical and can take place in many ways. What is crucial is only thatthe two halves of the grill can be drawn or pushed apart and that thespace between the profile bars is defined such that combustion gasesfrom the heating space can flow upward through the grate withouthindrance.

I claim:
 1. A bipartite, telescoping grate (R) having a plurality of bars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .) defining an upper grate plane for taking up food to be grilled, wherein said bars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . ) are profiled metal sheets which are of substantially Z- or S-shaped cross section and are combined in two groups of bars (A, B), the first group (A) containing the odd bars (1, 3, 5, . . .) and the second group (B) containing even bars (2, 4, 6, . . .), and the bars of at least one group (A) or (B) being connected to form a moving unit (A, B) that is displaceable relative to the other group (B) or (A) in the longitudinal direction of the bars, and the adjacent profiled bars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .) of the two groups (A, B) pushed together to form the complete grate (R) partly overlapping so as to form a closed surface in projection.
 2. The grate of claim 1, characterized in that the bars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . .) are bent out of sheet metal and have an angle of about 90° on a first bending line and an angle of about 100° on a second bending line.
 3. The grate of claim 1 wherein the ends of the bars (1, 3, 5, . . .) of the first group (A) and the bars (2, 4, 6, . . .) of the second group (B) are connected by thin connecting members (40) which connect the opposing sides of two bars in a substantially straight line.
 4. The grate of claim 1, wherein the ends of the bars (1, 3, 5, . . .) of the first group (A) and the bars (2, 4, 6, . . .) of the second group (B) are connected by welded on crossbars (33, 34; 31, 32), and the bars of the group not connected with the crossbar are supported displaceably on this crossbar. 